The present invention relates to electronic gaming apparatus. The invention is particularly applicable for electronic gaming apparatus simulating the slot machine game and is therefore described below with respect to this application, although it will be appreciated that the invention could be advantageously used in other electronic games as well.
The conventional slot machine game includes a plurality of reels arranged in a line and provided with various symbols on their outer peripheries. A start lever is manually pulled down and then released, which starts the reels to rotate. The reels stop successively one after the other in random positions, to display different symbols on their outer peripheries. Certain combinations of these symbols when arranged in a line represent winning combinations, earning the player predetermined amounts of money according to the winning combination produced in the line of reels.
Various types of electronic machines have been developed and are now in use simulating the slot machine game. Examples of such electronic slot machines are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,573,681, 4,684,600, 4,624,459 and 4,335,809.
An object of the present invention is to provide a new type of electronic gaming apparatus. Another object of the invention is to provide a new type of electronic gaming apparatus particularly useful for simulating the slot machine game.